Southern Fall Prawn & Sweet Potato Soup
There’s something about fall in the South that makes me want to get in the kitchen and cook something that sticks to your ribs. We start reaching for our sweaters, pulling out the boots, and suddenly everything smells like butter, garlic, smoked bacon, and something simmering away on the stove.
But here’s the thing about a Southern fall—ours doesn’t always look like the picture on a pumpkin spice candle. Down here, we can have 80-degree days in October and still crave a bowl of something warm and comforting. And my oh my have I created a bowl of Southern comfort that will be a new fall favorite.
I wanted to take some of my favorite Southern fall ingredients and marry them with one of my favorite things from the Coast: Gulf prawns. Sweet potatoes bring that earthy sweetness that just screams fall, while fresh corn adds a little pop. Bacon brings the smoky, salty goodness that pretty much makes everything better, and a little Cajun seasoning and some beautiful Gulf prawns remind us that Southern food doesn’t have to fit neatly into one box.
I like to keep the prawns front and center, cooking them right at the end so they stay tender and sweet instead of becoming little rubber balls floating around in your soup. A squeeze of fresh lemon at the finish wakes everything up, and crispy bacon and chives on top give every bite a little something extra. This is the kind of recipe I love most: Southern ingredients, Gulf Coast flavor, and just enough of a twist to make you say, “Well now, why didn’t I think of that?”
Southern Fall Prawn & Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds large Gulf prawns, peeled and deveined
- 7 slices thick cut bacon, diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1½ cups fresh corn
- 5 cups homemade seafood stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
For the Quick Seafood Stock
- Shells from the prawns
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ small onion, roughly chopped
- 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 6 cups water
- Sea salt, to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
Directions
- Don’t throw those prawn shells away! Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the shells and cook for 4 minutes until fragrant and lightly toasted.
- Add the onion, celery and garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Add water, cajun seasoning, bay leaf, thyme, and peppercorns. Bring to a simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes.
- Add salt, to taste.
- Strain the stock and discard the solids. You should have about 5 cups.
- In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove it with a slotted spoon and set aside. Leave about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pot.
- Add the diced onion and celery. Cook for 5-6 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Stir in the smoked paprika, Cajun seasoning, thyme, and cayenne.
- Add the sweet potatoes, corn, and seafood stock. Drop in the bay leaf and bring everything to a gentle boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
- Remove the bay leaf.
- Blend contents and add back to the dutch oven. If you would like a smoother finish, strain the contents after blended.
- Stir in the heavy cream and butter. Let it simmer gently for about 5 minutes. Don’t let it come to a hard boil.
- In a skillet on medium high heat, add a little of the bacon grease. Allow grease to heat.
- While bacon grease is heating, Season the prawns with a little salt, black pepper, and Cajun seasoning. Add the prawns to the skillet and cook until pink. Will take 2-4 minutes on each side.
- Before plating, adjust taste with salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning.
- To plate, ladle the soup into bowls and top with the crispy bacon, seared prawns, and chives.
Chelsea Gieselmann is a mom, photographer, columnist, food blogger, and home-cook. Cooking has been a passion of hers since she was old enough to cut out biscuits with the mouth of a mason jar. Her great-grandmother taught her the basics and she is ever so grateful to have been able to learn from her. Since then, she has continued to hone her craft, even beating Alex Guarnaschelli on The Food Network’s Outchef’d!Instagram: @Southrngritskitchen
